Security-Widefield

Security-Widefield is a census-designated place (CDP) comprising the unincorporated communities of Security and Widefield, located in and governed by El Paso County in the state of Colorado. Nestled between two prominent cities, the community occupies a distinctive geographic and civic position within the Pikes Peak region. Though unincorporated and thus lacking its own municipal government, Security-Widefield maintains a robust local identity, a vibrant history, and a close relationship with neighboring Peterson Air Force Base — a relationship that has at times proven contentious due to environmental concerns arising from base operations.

Geography and Governance

Security-Widefield is classified as a census-designated place, meaning it is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes but not possessing its own incorporated municipal government. Administration of the area falls under El Paso County, Colorado's most populous county and home to the state's second-largest city, Colorado Springs.

The community's location between two larger urban centers has shaped much of its development. Its position gives residents access to metropolitan amenities while preserving a community character distinct from its neighbors. The unincorporated status of Security-Widefield means that county services, including law enforcement through the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, play a central role in local civic life.

History

Security-Widefield is described by local historical sources as a distinctive community with a vibrant and rich history, having developed its own identity over decades of growth in the shadow of larger neighboring cities.^[1] The qualities that define it, according to community historians, are the product of the people who have called it home, the civic institutions they built, and the challenges they have navigated together.^[2]

The community's development was closely tied to the expansion of military and defense-related activity in the broader Colorado Springs region. The presence of Peterson Air Force Base to the north helped drive population growth in the area, as service members, civilian employees, and contractors sought housing in the communities surrounding the base. Over time, Security and Widefield grew and merged in common usage and official designation into the single CDP recognized today.

Religious congregations have been part of the social fabric of Security-Widefield for many decades. Records indicate that United Methodist congregations served the community, reflecting the presence of mainstream Protestant Christianity among the area's residents.^[3]

Relationship with Peterson Air Force Base

Perhaps the most significant and consequential aspect of Security-Widefield's modern history is its relationship with Peterson Air Force Base, which lies in close proximity to the community. That relationship has been marked by both the economic and social benefits of military proximity and, more recently, by serious environmental conflict.

Water Contamination Controversy

Security-Widefield became the subject of significant statewide and national attention following the discovery of water contamination linked to base operations. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stated that it was highly likely that Peterson Air Force Base was the source of contamination affecting the community's water supply.^[4] This statement by Colorado officials was described at the time as the most definitive linking the contamination to the base.^[5]

The contamination involves per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, a class of synthetic chemicals used for decades in firefighting foam and other industrial applications. Peterson Air Force Base, like many military installations across the United States, used these chemicals in training and emergency response operations over an extended period, and investigators linked their discharge to contamination found in the drinking water serving Security-Widefield residents.

In a separate but related development, the United States Air Force acknowledged that toxic chemicals had been released into the city's sewer system, further deepening concerns about the scope of environmental damage associated with base operations in the region.^[6]

The contamination issue placed Security-Widefield at the center of a broader national debate about military responsibility for environmental damage to surrounding communities. Residents and local officials called for accountability and remediation, while state environmental regulators worked to document the extent of the problem and identify pathways to clean water for affected households.

The case of Security-Widefield's water contamination drew sustained media coverage and became a reference point in policy discussions about how the federal government handles environmental liability at and around military installations. Colorado state officials' public attribution of the contamination to Peterson Air Force Base was notable for its directness, as such attributions in ongoing environmental cases can be legally and politically sensitive.

Community Services and Public Safety

Security-Widefield has maintained its own community fire service, reflecting the importance of local emergency response capacity in an unincorporated area. The fire department has been part of the community's civic infrastructure for an extended period, with leadership drawn from long-serving local professionals.

One notable figure in the community's public safety history served the department for 32 years and rose to the position of fire chief for Security-Widefield.^[7] The long tenure of such individuals reflects the continuity and community investment characteristic of smaller unincorporated communities, where municipal departments often rely on career employees who develop deep institutional knowledge over many years of service.

Public safety in Security-Widefield, as in other unincorporated communities throughout El Paso County, involves coordination between local fire services and county-level law enforcement and emergency management agencies. This arrangement can present both efficiencies and challenges, particularly during large-scale emergencies or events that strain resources.

Cultural and Community Identity

Security-Widefield's identity as a community distinct from the larger cities around it is a recurring theme in local historical accounts. Residents and community organizations have worked to document and preserve the history of the area, including through archival projects that compile photographs, documents, and oral histories related to the community's development.^[8]

The community archive, which frames Security-Widefield as "nestled between two prominent cities," reflects a local awareness of the community's geographic and civic context — positioned relative to Colorado Springs to the north and Pueblo to the south, yet maintaining its own character and sense of place.^[9]

The presence of long-established religious congregations, civic organizations, and volunteer institutions speaks to a community that has invested in its own social infrastructure over generations. United Methodist churches, among other congregations, have served local families and contributed to the area's civic life for many decades.^[10]

Environmental Legacy and Ongoing Concerns

The water contamination issue linked to Peterson Air Force Base has left a lasting mark on the community's public life and political consciousness. For residents of Security-Widefield, the discovery that their drinking water may have been compromised by military operations over an extended period raised fundamental questions about health, accountability, and the responsibilities of the federal government to neighboring civilian communities.

State environmental officials' public identification of Peterson Air Force Base as the highly likely source of the contamination gave community advocates a foundation for demanding remediation and accountability.^[11] The case also highlighted the particular vulnerability of unincorporated communities, which may lack the political and legal resources of incorporated municipalities when navigating disputes with federal entities.

The Air Force's acknowledgment of releasing toxic chemicals into the sewer system added another dimension to the controversy, suggesting that the pathways of contamination extended beyond groundwater and into municipal infrastructure.^[12] Taken together, these developments positioned Security-Widefield as one of several communities nationally confronting the legacy of decades of PFAS use at military installations.

Efforts to remediate affected water supplies and to hold the federal government accountable for contamination costs have been part of a broader regional and national effort involving multiple Colorado communities near military bases, environmental advocacy organizations, and state and federal regulators.

References

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